Simla is a small town about 33 miles northeast of Falcon on Highway 24. Incorporated in 1912, the town has a current population of 663. Simla has some commercial tax base – a Sofa Mart factory, a nursing home and several small retail businesses. The largest employer, the school, Big Sandy, pays no taxes.Simla provides water and sewer for its residents. Electricity is under a franchise agreement with Mountain View Electric Association, and the town contracts with Waste Management for garbage pickup.Simla’s fire and ambulance service are volunteer-based. The town is in the Big Sandy District, which also covers the towns of Ramah and Matheson. Simla provides the building for the fire department and pays for fuel and electricity. The town paid for the fire trucks, but maintenance and repairs are donated.There are six full-time employees in Simla: a town clerk/treasurer, a deputy clerk/court clerk, a public works director, a maintenance worker and two police officers. In addition, Simla has three part-time employees: a police officer, a judge and a certified sewer and water operator. Simla’s mayor and town council are volunteers.Simla’s tax revenue comes from property taxes, taxes collected through the electric and cable franchises and a city sales tax of 4 percent. In addition, the town receives monies from the Highway Users Fund, the Road and Bridge Fund, and the sale of plots in the town-owned cemetery. Other miscellaneous forms of revenue for the town of Simla are fines collected by the police department, building permits, motor vehicle and cigarette taxes.The town receives some money from grants also. Cindy Tompkins, the town’s deputy clerk, said, “There are a lot of grants out there, but you have to find them.” Simla receives money from the Conservation Trust Fund, which can be used for recreation and parks improvements and from Great Outdoors Colorado as well.Simla’s annual budget is about $600,000. About 20 percent of Simla’s revenue is from property taxes and 14 percent from the city sales tax. Simla’s water and sewer services are generally self-supporting.Simla’s General Fund Expenditures:
| Financial administration | $41,000 |
| Building maintenance and administration | $20,000 |
| Judicial department | $14,000 |
| Other government | $13,000 |
| Police | $104,000 |
| Other public safety | $7,000 |
| Public works | $75,000 |
| Health and welfare | $11,000 |
| Culture and recreation | $14,000 |
| TOTAL | $299,000 |
Water and Sanitation Fund Expenditures:| Water | $117,000 |
| Sewer | $82,000 |
| Trash | $65,000 |
| TOTAL | $264,000 |
